Is your Wellness Business bad for your Health?

Hey there Wellness Entrepreneur…or Lifestyle Blogger, Health Practitioner, Gym Owner, Naturopathic Doctor, or any variation of a “health & wellness business owner” you may be!

QUESTION FOR YOU: are you experiencing any of the following symptoms lately?

Chronic fatigue & lack of energy, except to type

Poor quality sleep, otherwise known as hamster-on-the-wheel

Lack of focus and in a constant state of overwhelm

Gaining weight and developing a flat butt – from sitting on it all day

No motivation to socialize outside of your “bloggers & business babes” Facebook groups

Well, as many of my past nutrition clients have heard me say, “it could be your hormones, and it’s likely poorly functioning adrenals” – but it could also be Running-Your-Own-Business Syndrome.

Running your own wellness business can sink your sanity – and your health!

Unfortunately, there’s much truth in this statement, and many online “healthpreneurs”, including myself, will attest to it.

I know what it’s like to work on your business every minute of every day, focusing on nothing else except cranking out the next blog post (or other must-publish-that-day piece of content), the new email list building strategy you’ve read about or that perfectly crafted sales page…

While you may genuinely feel that all of this effort has gotten you ahead in your business, all of that “busyness” does come at a price.

I mean, what do we expect when we’re not eating properly or exercising (ever!), when we’re missing out on activities with the family or other soul-nourishing personal connections, not to mention – we’re simply under-slept and over-worked?!

This is not the healthy or balanced living we’re trying to promote and guide our own clients in, and it’s going to negatively affect your business in the end – one that you’ve likely worked so hard to build in the first place.

So, let’s make a few adjustments in the online business-building process.

How NOT to lose your mind (or your health) while building your wellness empire

Think of it this way – if you’re not feeling your best, your work will suffer. As a health & wellness entrepreneur, this means that your business will also eventually suffer. It’s as simple as that.

Tip 1 | Make self-care a top priority

In the recent guest post Self-Care for Health Professionals by Dr. Ajiri Baro, MD & Wellbeing Coach, self-care is not selfish or an indulgence, nor is it even an option in our daily lives – it is paramount to our well-being as well as to our success in business.

BUT WHAT IS SELF-CARE?

It’s the regular activities that balance out the effects of both emotional & physical stressors – things like daily exercise, fueling our bodies with health-optimizing foods, quality sleep and even yoga & meditation or other similar practices. Even deep breathing exercises can be rejuvenating and restorative.

So, basically, all the things that you’ve been guiding your coaching clients in!

Be sure to schedule these practices into your own day and show yourself that you are just as worthy of time and space that is all yours.

Tip 2 | Sleep now (not when you’re 80) and you’ll live longer and be more productive

While I’m not a fan of working at night, having suffered from Adrenal Fatigue partly due to working long irregular hours – I understand that an entrepreneur’s day is rarely 9-5, so I get the need to work into the evening hours.

However, this habit often leads to even more disrupted and poor quality sleep. So, if you do find yourself having to work at night, try to at least cut down on the blue light exposure that we accrue from all of our devices.

blue light blocking (anti-glare) glasses to wear while using a computer or device

a blue light blocking coating on your next pair of eyeglasses – I just had this put on my upgraded prescription and what a difference!

set an absolute limit of no work (especially on a screen) at least ONE HOUR before bed to allow your eyes and your brain to decompress and “detox” the blue light pollution

Then, once you’ve finally got yourself into bed, there’s the sleep factor – good quality, restorative sleep is vital to not only functioning and performing effectively in our jobs but to our very survival.

“We are in the midst of a sleep deprivation crisis, and this has profound consequences – on our health, our job performance, our relationships and our happiness.What is needed, is nothing short of a sleep revolution. Only by renewing our relationship with sleep can we take back control of our lives.”

~ ARIANNA HUFFINGTONFounder of The Huffington Post and Author of “The Sleep Revolution: Transforming your life, one night at a time”

Tip 3 | Set limits and boundaries – Why NO is the new YES!

It is imperative that you set limits of what you are willing and perhaps more importantly, NOT willing to do to move forward and achieve success in your business.

You don’t want to work past 6 pm because the evenings are family time. Don’t do it.

Do you want to ensure you take a lunch break each and every day? Do it.

You have to get away with the family for 2 weeks every year. Do it!

Don’t want to work for less than X number of dollars per hour, per article or per project?

Don’t do it – stay firm in your rates, and get paid what you’re worth!

Sometimes all of the Yes’s can be far more detrimental than all of the No’s could ever be.

In fact, people who exercised during their workday were 23% more productive on those days than they were when they didn’t exercise, says a recent study from the International Journal of Workplace Health Management.

Tip 5 | Upgrade your nutrition and stay hydrated!

Just like getting regular exercise is to optimizing our health, eating foods that nourish and fuel our bodies is equally, if not more important. I’m a true believer that good nutrition is 80% of the “optimized health” equation, and regular exercise is the other 20 percent.

Also, just because you’re a health & wellness expert doesn’t mean your own nutritional routine couldn’t use a boost! Just like the clients that you’re counseling… you’re human too 😉

“What your brain produces will only be as powerful as what you use to fuel it.”~ MEGHAN TELPNER

Tip 6 | Sitting is the new smoking, so go ahead and be a quitter!

There’s no doubt that you’ve started to feel the negative effects of sitting in front of your computer for long periods of time. Things like eye strain, headaches, low back pain, neck pain, and poor circulation.

invest in a stand-up desk – which I finally did! What a difference it made!

Running an online health and wellness business can be the hardest because you’re trying to be the best health role model and key support person to so many others while trying to maintain your own health – all while carving out your own piece of the gluten-free internet pie.

All of that said, I personally wouldn’t trade running my online wellness business for the world, and I’m sure you’re not throwing in the towel anytime soon either.

After all, you’re building something that touches so many other people’s lives and wellbeing. That’s really the most rewarding part too – that we’re helping others through our unwavering dedication and hard work.

Take a deep breath, and know that you’ve got people who truly understand what you’re going through – and I, for one, am your biggest fan!